The present invention relates to a vehicle-body structure of an automotive vehicle with a storing-type roof which comprises at least a front roof and a rear roof and is configured to have a roof fully-closed position in which an upper side of a cabin is covered with these roofs and a stored position (a roof fully-open position) in which these roofs are stored in a storing space provided behind a seat.
Conventionally, in the above-described vehicle-body structure of the automotive vehicle with the storing-type roof, a pillar is necessary for the purpose of supporting the rear roof, in particular, in a case where the upper side of the cabin is covered with the front roof and the rear roof.
In a case where the pillar is provided separately from the roof and configured as a roof-side unit, when the roof is assembled to a vehicle body in a hanging manner, the above-described pillar is so offset inward that assembling of the pillar becomes complex. Therefore, there is room for improvement in this regard.
Meanwhile, US Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0035312 A1 discloses a deck cover structure, comprising a rear window which interconnects, by an upper face portion thereof, right-and-left both side portions, each of which is configured such that the height thereof becomes gradually lower from a vehicle front side to a vehicle rear portion, and a frame member which is provided at a front end portion of the rear window and configured in a gate shape in a front view. This patent document, however, does not disclose or suggest any pillar which is provided separately from the deck cover at all.